Hog ring and the like



' Jul 24, 1928.

W. V. CURTIS ET AL HOG RING AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 1927 Patented July24, 1928 UNITED STATES A 1,678,558 PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER V. CURTIS, or DAVENPORT, IOWA, AND JAMES B. ounTIsv or CHICAGO,

ILLINoTs.

HOG RING AND THE LIKE.

Application filed August 6, 1927. Serial No.211,201.

The present invention relates to certain improvements in hog rings andthe like, and these improvements are intended especially for preventingthe hog from catching fowl such as chickens, and for so interfering withrooting and other objectionable actions such as attempting to liftgates, that the hog will be effectively discouraged therefrom. At thesame time, the device herein disclosed is co arranged that it will notmaterially interfere with proper feeding, and will therefore not beobjectionable from this stand point.

Generally stated, the invention consists in the provision of a dependinmember which is so pivoted from the ring which engages the nose or snoutthat said depend ing member will strike the ground and thus stop thelowering of the hogs snout before the hog can bite into or take hold ofthe fowl or other moving object. These depending members are ofsufficient length to accomplish the foregoing object, and they arepivoted freely on the ring itself so that they will naturally fall intothe vertical or interferingposition and will thus strike the ground at apoint immediately in advance of the hog. 'Howevenwhen the hog throws hissnout suddenly forward the depending members will be cast forward, sothat the hog can then draw his snout rearwardly, and by so doing thedepending members will be dragged backwardly and will not strike theground in a direct vertical fashion, with the result that they willextend down at such an angle that they will not interfere with normalfeeding. In other words, by such action thehog can easily feed on corncobs or other normal feed, and without interference from the dependingmembers.

Whenever the hog runs after a fowl or other moving object the memberswill depend in vertical fashion, and due to the fact thatthehog mustthrowhissnout directly down to catch such running fowl, it will beimpossible for him to so manipulate the depending members as to-be-ableto catch the fowl in his snout. Thus the desired object will beaccomplished, and sufficient interference will be created topreventxcatching fowl or other moving objects, but normal feeding willnot be prevented.

This arrangement will also prevent the hog from gettinghis'snout'beneath the gate or other object which he would otherwiselift, because it will be impossible for him to throw the dependingmembers far enough forward to allow him to lower his snout the necessaryextent. will also accomplish other desirable and useful results.

A further object is to provide an arrange ment whereby the hog ring maybe clamped to the snout of the hog in the usual manner, and by the useof a clamp or tool such as is in general use today for similar work.Also to provide an arrangement such that, if

I desired rings of the present and well known The depending members iway the loss will be greatly reduced, and the 7 device may be used overand over again.

A further ob ect of the inventlon is to provide an arrangementsuch thatit can be easily and cheaply made from sheet or bar metal, and by theuse of simple manufacturing processes, thereby greatly reducing the costof manufacture, and also adapting the invention to manufacture by simpleand well understood processes.

Other objects and uses of the invention will appear from a detaileddescription of the same, which consists in the features of constructionand combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawing;

Fig. 1 shows a side elevation of a device embodying the presentinvention, part thereof being in section so as to better reveal theconstruction i Fig. 2 shows a fragmentary side elevation correspondingto Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 shows a fragmentary view similar to that of Fig; 1, but with thering closed or clamped shut in the manner usual when applying the ringsto the hogs snout.

The ring proper is designated by thenumeral 5. It is usuallymadeofsomewhat elliptic form, with itsends 6 and 7 septhenpper ends or theprongs lie in a vertical arated a suflicient distance to allow for readyapplication to the hogs snout. Furthermore, these ends are generallypointed, as shown. l/Vhen the ring is applied to the snout, it isclamped together, as shown in Fig. 3 so as to bring the points intosubstantial engagement, or at any rate so as to Sufliciently engage thesnout to prevent removal of the ring except with the intention of thefarmer. Usually, also these rings are of plain form, and when they areclamped together they are substantially circular.

According to our present invention we provide a depending member whichmay :be applied to the ring, and which when so applied will hang downfreely, and will always fall into substantially vertical position. Thisdepending member or members is sulficiently long to cause its lower endto strike the ground before the hog can take an object into his mouth.Thus, for example, the member is sufficiently long to strike the groundbefore the hog can catch hold of chicken or other fowl.

The preferred arrangement is that illustratec in. the figures. Itcomprises a pairof prongs 8 and 9 which have their upper ends pivotallymounted on the ring 5, and which prongs are supported with stiiicientfreedom to allow them to swing'naturally into the vertical position,pivoting for this purpose on the ring itself. The prongs are alsopreferably so arranged that they extend outwardly from each other at anangle of substantially 50 degrees as shown. Also the low-er ends of theprongs are preferably pointed so that they will not easily slip alongthe surface of the ground or floor.

In orderto permit the prongs to swing with the greatest freedom ofmovement, they preferably have their upper ends bent at a complementaryangle so that said upper ends will pass across the ring at right anglesas illustrated in Fi s. 1 and 3. That is to say,

position while the ring crosses them horizontally at the pivoting point.Preferably, also, both of the prongs are made .m a single piece of metalstock, as for example a bar or rod. Then said bar is bent so as toestablish the upper pivoting end section 10, which has sufficient lengthto allow f 'r the desired pivoting action. This result is accomplishedby so bending the bar that it is folded directly together in its upperend section, and then its prongs portions are flared utwardly at thedesired angle.

The upper pivoting end of the member 10, is perforated at 11 toaccommodate the ring, and this perforation is-of suflicient size toallow for the desired freedom of swinging movement on the ring.

In order to prevent the depending member from shifting sidewise onthering, and to ensure proper centering action properly center d even withonly a slight amoimt of initial offset, g

It will be noted that with the arrangement herein disclosed, thedepending anember may be used over and over again, by simply removin thesome from the ring after the latter has been removed from the snout ofone hog, and then placing the depending member on another ring to be.used on another hog.

While we have herein shown and describml 'only .a single form 'of ourinvention, still we do not intend :to limit ourselves to the san'i-eexcwpft asfwe may dose in the claims. Furthecn'iore, we do not limitourselves to any particular s zes :or material for the construction ofthe device, since manifestly these will be a matter of selectionaccording to circumstances.

Vi e claim 1. In a device of the class described, the combination of aring adapted for engage.- ment with theisnout o f a hog, said:rin'gcomprising a curved member having its ends inturned towards eachother and pointed, and having its central portion provided with anoffset which extends outwardly from the general curvature of the ringand acts as a seat for the prong member, andv a prong member freelyipivorted on said otlset portion of the ring, and comprising a sectionof rod bent to establish two relatively long prongs.

united at the central portion, and flaring outwardly from each other atan angle of substantially .fifty degrees, the central portion of saidprong member reompri'sing a straight section of double thicknessextending in a direction to substantially :bisect the angle between theprongs, the ends of the prongs being sharpened, and the straight sectionaforesaid being perforated with "a hole of sufl icient size to freelyaccommodate the offset portion of the ring, and to allow the prongmemberto swing1'freel'y 'b'lIGIGOIl, substantially as described.

2. Inn vice 'of the class descni bed, the combination "of a ring adaptedfor engage ment with the snout of a hog, said ring com prising aqourvedmember having its ends inturned towards each other, and having itscentral portion provided with 'an offset which extends outwardly fromthexgenerwl curvature of the ring and acts as a seat for the prongmember, and a prong member freely pivoted on said offset portion of thering, andcomprising a section of rod bent to establish two relativelylong prongs united at the central portion, and flaring outwardly fromeach other, the central portion of said prong member comprising astraight section of double thickness extending in a direction tosubstantially bisect the angle between the pron'gs, and the straightsection aforesaid being perforated with a hole of sulficient size tofreely accommodate the offset portion of the ring, and to allow theprong member to swing freely thereon, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a ring adaptedfor engage ment with the snout of a hog, said ring comprising a curvedmember having its ends inturned towards each other, and having itscentral portion provided with an offset which extends from the generalcurvature of the ring and acts as a seat for the prong member, and a.prong member freely pivoted on said offset portion of the ring, and

comprising a member having a pair of arms which reach outwardly from acentral portion at an angle of substantially fifty degrees to eachother, the central portion of said member being substantially straight,vand reaching backwardly in a direction to substantially bisect theangle between the arms aforesaid, and said straight portion beingperforated with a hole of sufficient size to freely accommodate the ofi's'et of the ring and allow the pron member to swing freely thereon,substantia ly as described.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of a ring adaptedfor engagement with the snout of a hog, said ring comprising a curvedmember having its ends inturned towards each other, and a prong memberfreely pivoted on the ring, and comprising a member having a pair ofarms which reach outwardly from a central portion at an angle withrespect to each other, the central portion of said member beingsubstantially straight, and reaching backwardly in a direction tosubstantially biseot the angle between the arms aforesaid, and straightportion being perforated with a hole of sufiicient size to freely'accommodate the ring and allow the prong member to swing freely thereon,substantially as described.

WALTER v. CURTIS. JAMES B. CURTIS. I

